Drain tile guards



Dec. 6, 1960 c. G. MUEHLFELD 2,962,866

DRAIN TILE GUARDS Original Filed Sept. 25, 1950 ATTORNEY `nited States Continuation of abandoned applications Ser. No. 186,653, Sept. 25, 1950, and Ser. No. 257,146, Nov. 19, 1951. This application Get. 18, 1956, Ser. No. 616,887

This invention relates to guards for drain tile for use in connection with tile used on farms for draining farmland in general.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a simple, practical, and substantial tile guard which can be installed either at the time the tile is laid, or it can be installed over old tile already in the ground, for supporting the end sections of the tile in close-fitting, abutting relation in perfect alignment, eliminating the possibility of the tile being washed out, cave-ins, widespread erosion at the discharge end of the tile line, and the labor and time required to replace and repair the damage done.

Another object is to design a tile guard which can be firmly anchored in position, and which holds the outer end tiles in proper position and alignment, which wil-l not be loosened or damaged by thawing and/or freezing temperature, and which virtually eliminates leakage at the tile joints, thus preventing undermining and cave-ins at the discharge ends of the tile lines, so that the entire field area drained by the tile can be planted and cultivated.

A further object is to provide a tile guard for holding the individual tile sections in end-toend, close abutting relation, which is provided with circumferentially spaced, corrugated bars, which not only engage and hold the tile in alignment, but also serve to anchor the guard firmly in position.

Still a further object is to provide a guard which when used in loose, non-adhering soil, includes a cylindrical apron in which the tile sections are mounted to aid in holding them in proper horizontal alignment, and to provide a pathway for any yleakage which might occur.

A further object still is to provide a tile guard which, when necessary in gravelly or sandy soil, includes an apron having transverse raised ribs on its inner surface, so that the tile sections mounted thereon rest on the ribs, and the free flow of any leakage is alorded be tween the apron and the tile.

Another object is to provide a tile guard which is provided with outwardly curved closure bars, eliminating any obstruction to a full head or iiow of water, and which prevents predatory animals and the like from crawling into the tile; nesting therein, or becoming lodged in position so as to block the flow of water in the line, so that the crops are drowned out with the consequent loss of production and profit.

'This application is a continuation of the subject matter disclosed in my co-pending applications, Serial No. 186,653, filed September 25, 1950, now abandoned, and Serial No. 257,146, filed November 19, 1951, and now abandoned.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being unatent fr* f- Patented Dec. 6, 1960 derstood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion, and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

ln the drawng:

Fig. l is a side elevational view showing my tile guard in position on the end of a tile line.

Fig. 2 s a fragmentary, sectional, side elevational view of my guard only, showing the anchoring bars shaped to lie in horizontal alignment with the inner face of the guard ring.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a modification which includes an underslung apron mounted on two of the anchor bars, the modified guard being shown in position over part of the tile line.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof, the tile being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing in which I have shown the preferred and usual embodiment of my invention in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the letter G indicates generally my new tile guard which comprises a collar 10 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, elongated, corrugated, anchoring and positioning bars or rods 11 (four are shown in the instant application), bolted or otherwise secured to and extending longitudinally from said collar 10. The rods 11 .are turned inwardly as shown at 12 in Fig. 2, so as to lie ush with the sides of the abutting tile sections T and the inner diameter of the collar 10, and so position said tile sections T, and it will be obvious that the collar 10 is mounted over the end of the end tile section.

Spaced-apart outwardly bowed bars 13 form a mask for the open end of the collar 10, the end tile section butting against these bars, which are outwardly bowed as shown to eliminate any obstruction to the flow or head of Water flowing through the tile line, and to further `protect the end of the end tile from chipping and breakage.

I further wish to direct particular attention to the fact that this guard anchors itself permanently in average ground, and it is in no manner dependent for support on the tile; rather, it supports and maintains the end tile sections in position and alignment, and there is no repair or replacement or maintenance. The elongated anchor bars 11 are corrugated, and 1 Wish to direct attention to the fact that where the guard is used on tile lines already in existence, it is merely necessary to place the free ends of the rods which are pointed as at 14 over the end tile section T and then drive the guard to position.

Where the guard is to be used in particularly sandy or gravelly soil which shifts and is non-adhering, the modified form of my invention as shown in Figs. 4 through 7 is used to aid in holding the end sections of the tile in alignment, and to provide a pathway for any leakage which m.ght occur. In this form, one of the horizontally disposed anchor rods 11 is eliminated, and the remaining rods extend tangentially from the collar lill and are not turned inwardly as at 12 in Fig. 2. An elongated, semicylindrical apron 15 is secured to two of the remaining rods 11, either by coiling the edges of' the rnetal around the rods as at 16, or in any other approved manner, the one end of said apron abutting against the collar 10 as shown. Raised ribs 17 are formed on the inner face of the apron 15 in spaced relation to support the tile sections T slightly above the face of said apron, so that any water, either trapped or escaping through the tile joints, will readily ow and drain through the discharge opening or spout 18, which opening is formed by bending down the metal apron directly adjacent the collar 10.

An inwardly pressed rib 19 is provided on the inner end of the apron 15, and serves to support the tile resting thereon in proper alignment, and also to prevent any backflow that might escape from the adjacent tile joint, and which might undermine the tile at the inner end of the apron.

The modied form of my invention thus eiectively surmounts the diiliculties presented by the use of the guard in loose, shifting soil, and it is apparent that it can be similarly driven into position where the tile lines are a1- ready in existence.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have perfected a very simple, practical and substantial tile guard that can be readily and economically manufactured and assembled, and which is adapted for use in tile lines already laid as well as in new installations.

What I claim is;

1. In combination with a plurality of tile laid in endto-end abutting relation inthe ground and having a portion of an outer end tile projecting from the ground, a tile guard for holding said tile in end-to-end relation and preventing washout of the outer end tile, said guard comprising an end member engaging the outer end of the end tile member to hold it in endwise position, and a plurality of spaced apart elongated anchor rods having free terminal ends driven into the ground extending from said end memberaxially relative to the tile inwardly from the end member and along the peripheral surfaces of the tile engaging a plurality of tile and holding them in abutting relation.

2. The combination defined in claim l in which the terminal ends of saidv anchor rods are pointed.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said end member comprises acollar with an internal diameter substantially the outer diameter of said outer end tile and mounted thereon, said collar having spaced apart bars fixed chordally across the outer end of said collar to prevent outward, endwise displacement of said outer end tile.

4. In combination with a plurality of horizontally disposed tile laid in end-to-end substantially abutting relation in the ground and having a portion of an outer end tile projecting from the ground, a tile guard for holding said tile in end-to-end relation and preventing washout of the outer end tile, said guard comprising a collar member having an internal diameter of substantially the outer diameter of the tile embracing the outer end of said outer end tile, and a plurality of spaced apart elongated anchor rods connected to and extending from said collar member flush with the internal diameter thereof, said rods being spaced apart diametrically a distance greater than the outer diameter of the tile and extending lengthwise along the tile embracing a plurality of tile and holding them in abutting relation.

5. A tile guard comprising a collar, a plurality of circumferentially spaced elongated anchor rods having free ends extending generally parallel to the axis of said collar and secured thereto, a plurality of tile sections in abutting, end-to-end relation, embraced by said rods, said collar being in contact with an end tile member, and transversely spaced-apart bars forming a mask for the outer edge of said collar.

6. The combination dened in claim 5 in which said rods are corrugated to rmly anchor them in the ground with the free ends pointed inwardly to facilitate easy driving into the ground.

7. A tile guard comprising a collar, at least three elongated anchor rods secured thereto, a semi-cylindrical apron connected to two of said rods, a plurality of tile sections laid in abutting end-to-end relation with the collar in contact with an end tile member, raised ribs on the inner face of the apron on which the tile sections are Supported, and an inwardly projecting rib adjacent the rear end of the apron to eliminate back flow of water from said apron.

8. A tile guard comprising a collar member, a plurality of elongated anchor members secured on the periphery thereof and extending therefrom in parallel relation, an elongated apron secured to said anchor members, and a plurality of tile sections supported on said apron in end-to-end abutting relation with an end tile in contact with the collar member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,324,391 Godwin Dec. 9, 1919 1,398,007 Davis -I NOV. 22, 1921 1,555,841 Harris Oct. 6, 1925 2,116,165 Ullman May 3, 1938 

